It is well known to fasten two metal plates together with rivets. The barrel of the rivet is inserted through aligned holes in the plates (or can be punched through soft metal) and the end is hammered or compressed by other means to expand it and sandwich the plates between the expanded end and the rivet head. The plates are fixed together, but they have the rivet head protruding on one side and the expanded end protruding from the other. It is known to use surface grinding and polishing to smooth the expanded end of the rivet to match the surface.
What is needed is a method of joining plates without the need to penetrate both plates being joined to provide a smooth outside surface opposite the rivet head, thereby eliminating the need for surface grinding and polishing.